


By Chance Then, By Choice Now (and Forever)

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert, reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 11:53:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12887307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jesse McCree is amung the youngest of deadlock and sometimes they don't want him around, so they toss him into a nearby highschool hoping he'd stay out of the way and maybe get something out of it. Unfortunately, that highschool was the same one you were currently attending.





	1. Wishes Do Come True... Sorta

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the low quality, this is basically me trying to get back into writing.
> 
> Edit: ok so, I didn't like how I started this so *ta-da* revision. Well, more accurately I'm basically re-writing this, but by agonizing bit God get ready for angst. Btw I can't write Young Jesse for shit so excuse my terrible skills.

On the outskirts of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the boarder of the Petroglyph National Park, sat a house. Your house, to be exact. And about a half hour away, sat the high school you had the privilege of attending. Most of the time it sucked. The everyone there were assholes, unavailable, and/or completely uninterested in you. Which was why it was your senior year and you were very lonely.

But then something kind of unusual happened. A new kid showed up. He was obviously from around the area, sun kissed skin, southern drawl, even his stupid cowboy get-up seemed to fit right in. But nobody knew the guy. He was boyishly handsome, a total flirt, and one arrogant son of a b*tch. He drove you kind of mad, honestly.

Ever since sophmore year, when someone you actually gave a rat's ass about broke your heart, you swore off dating until college (your dad was perfectly cool with that). But this new kid, he was just enough cocky to get on your nerves and just enough laid back to get your attention.

It was 7:56 am, school had started eleven minutes ago and you had somehow managed to sleep through both of your alarms. You were a mess of loose papers, messy hair, and dark circles. Oh yeah, it was Monday, of finals week. You were making a mad dash through the second floor halls to first hour, literally snatching papers from the air as they started trying to escape you clutches. 

Just as you reached to snag an ardent homework assignment, your sleep deprived body slammed into something warm and soft. It made an 'oof' sound as it hit the floor. "Shit, I'm so sorry, I didn't even see you there I-" You were scrambling to collect you belongings as you apologized and glance up, freezing when you realized who you'd just thrown yourself at. Literally. The new guy. Jesse McCree. His hair was long, just hanging a inch above his shoulders, cowboy hat askew, and the most adorable, shocked expression on his face as he looked at you. He quickly shook it from his face though, and helped you gathering the scattered assignments that remained. He had this little smile on his lips that made your heart flutter a tiny bit. "Suppose we just fell for each other, huh?" He asked with a quiet laugh. You'd seen him flirt before, but it was different when he spoke to you. Maybe because it was the first time? Either way your face heated and you stuffed everything into your backpack. You didn't understand why but you were actually kind of... Angry, about what he said. Who was he, who'd probably already snatched the hearts of half the school's population to be using a line like that on little old you? "Sorry for running into you." It came out a little colder than you meant, but you hurried off, not noticing the tiny frown and the furrow of his brows as you disappeared around a corner.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, agonizing minutes feeling like mere nanoseconds once you had made it through your front door. Your day was watching the news in the living room and after dropping your bag in your room, you flopped down next to him. The lady on the screen was chattering about some local gang that had moved into the area, Deadlock or something like that, you honestly weren't paying much attention until she moved on to the next subject, and organization called Overwatch.

You sat up a little more, watching the image of several men and woman as they stood at attention, and it took you a moment to realize it was a recruitment poster. The news lady, Kim something or other, was speaking of the organization's involvement in the Omnic Crisis several years ago and how they were looking for new heels to join their ranks. Your dad turned to you, "I don't care if you end up joining the military, entering the medical field, whatever, but whatever you do, do not get involved with that bunch." He said it with such conviction that you didn't have the courage to ask why.

The next few days, including final exams, felt like an eternity and a half. You somehow wound up finding Jesse everywhere, chatting with the football guys next to your locker, transferred into not one but of your classes for second semester, and even just hanging out in the hall during class time. unfortunately, he seemed to notice you as well, because now it seemed like anytime he saw you he'd flash you a toothy grin and wave, or even trying talk to you. 

You actually found yourself looking forward to the times you saw him around, his arrogance and smooth talking starting to grow on you. You did try to keep a lock down on any thoughts about more than a friendship with him though, at least until the day he asked you out.

You were gathering things for your next class, when Jesse came up to you. "Hey." "Hey." "So, I was thinkin earlier," "Really? I'm impressed, cowboy." You teased. "Ha ha, very funny." He was uncharacteristically quiet, scuffing his boot on the tile. "What's up?" You asked, pausing and looking up from where you knelt with a mildly concerned expression. Jesse shrugged away your concern, "Ain't a big deal, but I wanted ta ask if..." He paused, "if you were, uh, free this weekend?" You looked blankly back at your locker in quiet surprise. "Ya don't have ta answer if ya don't want to, I just figured I'd ask ya know?" Jesse continued to kind of blather, a red blush creeping across his cheeks, "I've never really asked anyone out before so I-" "Yes," you cut him off, smiling widely, "I am free, what did you have in mind?" The relief and embarasment on the young man's face had your heart stuttering, God he was adorable. And really? Never asked anyone out before? You didn't believe it completely, but you'd give him the benefit of the doubt.


	2. Lunch

Jesse missed exactly eight days of school and you laughed because he now had to take finals. 

He was not as amused. 

It had only been three weeks since Jesse had stepped into your school life and now you found yourself daydreaming, in the back of your mind, if he'd maybe find a way into your daily life too. He'd finally stopped acting weirdly around you, even started flirting with you. 

You weren't sure whether to be flattered or insulted. Most days you leaned towards the later, and your friends tease you about being jelous of the other girls he sweet talked. Especially when you said something about his accent being a little thicker than most of the people there. It seemed subtle enough to your friends that they didn't notice it, but after sitting through an hour and a half of listen to his sass Mr.Hawk and Mrs.Simms, you start to pick up on it.

However, you couldn't dispute their claims. Because, you finally admitted, you were jelous. You'd tried out a couple relationships at the school but nothing worked out, and here was this new guy, good looking, pretty smart when he actually participated, and aside from cocky he was usually nice to you. It may have built up a little more hope in you than you'd thought.

 

But then one fateful day, you found your locked blocked by one other than one Jesse McCree. He was chatting with the guy (Devon? Dylan? Something like that) next to him with his back leaning on your locker.

You steeled yourself and made your move. "Excuse me." Cold, but not harsh, like you were in a hurry. 

Jesse smiled that stupid cocky smile and stepped out of the way, only to lean on the next locker over and look at you.

You opened the locker right as he opened his mouth and he was suddenly face to face with metal. You had to bite back a laugh despite muttering an apology out of habit.

He just rolled his eyes and pushed it from his nose. "Hey."

"Yeah?" You knelt down to snatch a folder.

"You free tomorrow?"

Wait. What? "What?" You stopped and looked up to him. "Tomorrow is a school day."

"So? There's a little place just outside of town, a diner, been meaning to try it out and was wonderin if you'd care to join me. Milly's I think it was called."

You'd heard of it, just opened. Actually, you'd mentioned the place during a random conversation about a week ago in Chemistry. Did he remember you saying you wanted to check it out when they opened? Nah, no way. And on a Friday?

"Sure." Shit, wait, no, that's not right. "Meet somewhere?" You sounded far more confident than you felt. Which was good because now you were getting really excited, despite feeling ashamed of yourself for agreeing to skip school. And ya know, Jesse McCree just asked you out to lunch. 

"I can pick you up, if you don't mind an old rust bucket with wheels." His smile went from suave to pleasently surprised.

You pulled a pen from your bag, and a paper, and scribbled your address (and phone #) on it, folding it as you passed it over. "I'll see you sometime tomorrow then." And you flashed him a nervous smile. 

You didn't know what to do but thankfully Jesse just nodded, tipped his hat (tipped his hat!!!) And meandered off to his next class.


	3. Confession

You went to lunch with Jesse, eaten away with guilt at skipping, but actually having loads of fun. You two didn't just have lunch, you had lunch, found an arcade just done the road, and spent hours trying kick each other's asses at different old timey games.

Something clicked during those few hours that you couldn't explain, but the weekend, then the week were different. You and Jesse met up each afternoon and found somethind to do and if you couldn't, the arcade was almost always empty.

It wasn't until someone asked you, another couple of days later, if you and Jesse were dating. You didn't really know the answer. We're you two dating? It hadn't been soecified. You liked to call them dates but did he? You asked him.

"So, I was asked a question earlier," you said, punching at the two buttons on your left and manuvering the joystick with your right, " Are we dating?" You asked it as casually as you could, refusing to left Jesse, who was on your right dining the same thing, have any advantages. You were playing to beat his old highscore.

Jessw didn't blink, "That's kinda what I thought we were doin, Hun? Is this not a date?"

"Is it? I mean, I'd want it to be, but it doesn't have to... Shit." You screen flashed GAME OVER and Jesse, rather than his usual grin and exclamation of Victory, looked to you calmly. 

"Then it's a date."

The next two months slipped by and things with Jesse only got better. You two were a major item of conversation for a while once you both started calling each other your boy/girlfriend but it didn't phase either of you. Jesse was kind, funny, a major smart ass, and he was your best friend.

Which was why you were currently sitting in Milly's staring open mouthed at his confession.

"Please don't freak out, it's not as bad as everyone thinks I swear. I mean it's not good but we do like just go on random murder sprees or roads and shit!" He was part of a hang. He hadn't said which but you're not stupid. 2 + 2 and all that.

"I..." You had to think. You put your elbows on the table and your head in your hands. This... Didn't change how you felt for him, not really. But now you were a little more concerned for his saftey than you ever were.

"You don't have to get involved,if something happens you don't have to bail me out or lie for me or anything I just, I needed you to know. I didn't want ta keep a lie like that from you."

Arrogant, smart-ass, but loyal, So loyal. You thought you might fallen in love with him for that statement right there if you hadn't already.

"Thank you. That's... I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me, it, it means a lot. I won't tell, I'll never tell, I promise." You take his hand and smile, smoething in you breaking a little at the relief on his face.


	4. Broken Noses

Jesse wiped his palms on his jeans and looked back at you again. "Babe, you sure you wanna do this? I'm not gunna act the same way around them like I do around you..."

"I want to meet them." You held back the slight tremble of fear in your voice solely with your resolve. "You told me that, they were like a family to you."

"Well, sorta. I said they were all I got."

You were headed to meet the Deadlock gang.

One week Earlier:

Jesse had come out to you about his involvement with deadlock a while ago and since then has seemed far more relaxed around you. Still an asshole sometimes but that was just him.

You'd asked if his family knew and he became very quiet. 

"Don't got one, not anymore. If anything Deadlock's the closest I've got to one right now." He spoke of his blood family only once and little of it good. He said, however, that his mother had been the light in those dark times and that she would've loved you.

You resolved that very night to go with your boyfriend the next time he checked in. (Which, you found out, was why he missed classes.) 

Your own parent's didn't have a clue. Your grades kept their average and they trusted you enough not to check your attendance all the time. You'd only skipped once with Jesse anyway, on that first date to Milly's, so one more day wouldn't make too much difference. (You still had two days left to miss before you had to take finals anyway.)

Jesse wasn't thrilled when you asked to join him. He was nervous actually, But he didn't tell you no. "Don't tell anyone anything, not your last name, friends' names, nothin'. And don't let them push you around either, they see you give an inch and they'll make a mess of you."

You nodded as he spoke, one question still unanswered, "I won't be forced to join, right?"

Jesse looked away and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "I'm uh, I'm not really sure," He quickly took your hand in his, "but I won't let it happen, ok? Not if you don't want to..." You swore there was a flicker of something between fear and hope in his eyes.

Now: 

Jesse pulled his truck beside a run down diner, more run down than Milly's and positioned on the edge of a gorge. You knew of Deadlock gorge, had figured the gang would be somewhere near it, but at this little thing? You shook your head as you climbed out of the vehicle and headed around it, admiring the open expanse before you.

The landscape seemed to crawl on in shades of red and yellow forever, broken only by the occasional green scrub. You lost yourself in the picture, the serenity of it, until Jesse's hand slipped around your waist.

"Beautiful, ain't it? Takes your breath away the first couple times. C'mon, let's get inside."

He gently led you from the cliffside and up the steps to the Panorama Diner.

"One last thing, don't drink the coffee."

You couldn't tell which was more off-putting; the asshole-ish, almost childish grin Jesse plastered on his face as he swaggered the through the door, or the faces that greeted you.

"Eyy, look what the cat dragged in!" Called a man from the bar. 

"More like he dragged the cat in, boy's finally found himself some tail!" A second voice rose from an occupied table, starting a laughing fit around the grungy place.

You could tell by the way Jesse's grip on your waist tightened slightly what his smile hid. He was uncomfortable with the attention. Not on him though, no, he loved the attention; he was just ready to sweep you out the door should something happen.

You forced the disgusted look off your face and into something more aloof, like you couldn't care less about the ruffians before you. It only seemed to prod them further. There was a whistle somewhere from the corner, "She's a pretty one too, what corner did ya prick her up from Jesse?" More laughter. 

"The same one I found your ma on Rob." So nonchalant, not 'walking into your own home' comfortable, but not like walking into unknown territory either. Jesse's retort got him a roar of laughter and more teasing from the few men scattered through the diner. Something big must be happening, Jesse would later tell you, usually there weren't as many guys out here.

Jesse pulled you up to the bar, actually ordering a basket of fries from the bored waitress continuously wiping the already "clean" countertop. She rolled her eyes but disappeared into the back with the handful of change that was passed to her.

Just as the door to the kitchen swung closed, a large hand landed on Jesse's shoulder. The man, large in all sense of the word, muttered darkly to him for a moment and was gone, disappearing through the back door. 

"Stay here, I'll be back soon." Jesse whispered, squeezing your hand as he followed the other guy. 

The moment Jesse's ass left the stool another took its spot. A weasel of a man, greasy and unkempt, sat next to you. You blatantly ignored him, thanking the waitress as she returned with a little red basket full of golden brown fries. They tasted like the fryer hadn't had an oil change in, well, ever, but eating them meant you didn't have to look to your right.

"Duke," the man said with a gap-toothed smile, "Name's Duke. Tell me, how'd the rat wrangle in someone as pretty as you, eh?" His breath smelled of fish. 

You weren't exactly afraid, not quite, but this guy's mere presnce seemed to grate on your nerves. His voice just hit the wrong chord, accent stuck somewhere between southern and western and if you weren't used to the later you might not have noticed the difference. And it was annoying. You glanced side-long at him and bit your tongue, not sure what kind of reaction you'd get if you made a smart ass remark.

Duke sneered, ugly smiles gone, "Jesse's princess too good for old Duke? Did he tell ya not to talk, or did he catch 'imself a mute?" Others had gone quieter, those most ignored Duke himself, probably used to his mood swings. You tasted blood and it boiled in your veins. "Pro'ly did," your fingers fisted, "Easy to fuck someone if ya can't hear em say n-" your knuckles made contact with the bridge of Duke's nose, right as Jesse's head popped back inside. 

The room went silent aside from the thump of Duke hitting the floor and crying out in pain. 

"I think you should try biting your tongue once in a while, might help keep your ass in seat rather than on the floor." You didn't realize you'd stood up until Jesse's hand pressed against th small of your back.

There was a chocked laugh from your right, accompanied by a loud mutter, "Serves ya right, Jackass."


End file.
